Made for Europe

Cost and risk-effective sourcing from new markets

Neutral, competent, cost-effective

You are planning to import? Fresh fruit and vegetables? Cut flowers? Technical wood? Natural ingredients for foods, pharmaceutics, cosmetics? We have the contacts you need and are at your side throughout the entire sourcing process.

We network you with the right exporters.

Accessing new sources of supply is labour intensive and time consuming. There are plenty of risks and unknowns. You  can reduce your initiation, agreement and control costs with the Import Promotion Desk. Gain certainty and time as we have the contacts, information and communication channels to your new foreign suppliers.

Hand in hand with the German private sector

The IPD is an initiative of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (Bundesverband Großhandel, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen e.V.) and sequa gGmbH – the development organisation of German industry. We are funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

IPD UPDATE 2 // 2021

In July 2021, IPD has embarked on its fourth project phase. We will be expanding our offer and taking on board two new partner countries – Morocco and Uzbekistan – in our programme. In addition to this, IPD will be opening regional offices in selected partner countries with immediate effect in order to further expand its work on the ground and, in particular, its cooperation with local export promotion organisations.

Read more about this in our IPD UPDATE.

»At the interface between development cooperation and foreign trade«

Interview with Dr. Julia Bellinghausen – Head of Import Promotion Desk
Dr. Julia Bellinghausen explains why supporting exports is an essential instrument in international development cooperation and outlines the IPD’s strategy for opening up the German and European markets to developing countries.
Read the entire interview

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»With the IPD we are closing a strategic gap at the interface of development cooperation and foreign trade: By eliminating trade barriers and information deficits, we contribute to the improved participation of emerging and developing countries in the global economy, but also support German SMEs in developing new procurement markets.«

Gregor Wolf
Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA)

»It is important for developing countries and emerging nations to integrate into international value chains and thus obtain access to new sales markets. This is where the IPD makes a valuable contribution: it opens the German and European market to producers from these regions.«

Anja Gomm
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

»Organisations such as the IPD are valuable tools for the economy not only in Germany but also in partner countries. The IPD provides German importers with information and connects them with suppliers. Even more important is the fact that the IPD and its partner organisations evaluate the suppliers and the information beforehand and therefore minimize the risk for European importers. For exporters from foreign countries, the IPD is an excellent platform to present their products and to get in contact to potential clients.«

Christian Körting Pacheco
Biomaderas GmbH

"One should think that with today's technical facilities it is easy to find new suppliers and customers in other countries. In reality,  this is a time-consuming and personnel-intensive effort. The IPD offers ideal networking opportunities in a wide range of sectors, facilitating, for instance in the wood sector, the establishment of new and safe commercial relationships with emerging and developing countries."

Nils Olaf Petersen
Gesamtverband Deutscher Holzhandel e.V.

»The import of food as a primary commodity for the processing industry up to the final product plays a vital role when it comes to enabling consumers to choose from a variety of tasty and safe foods. An interface such as the IPD promotes and supports business contacts between importers and exporters and thus creates an ideal platform for mutual trade relationships which are the foundation for a diverse and healthy food supply.«

Dr. Helena Melnikov
Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e.V.

»Exporters from emerging markets and developing countries and importers from Europe depend on all types of support from associations, Chambers of Industry and Commerce and other BMOs.The IPD is another useful tool to bring partners from Germany and abroad together.«

Hans Udo Bürk
Biotropic GmbH

»Numerous companies from the German nutrition industry depend on the import of high-quality food products.  Many of these raw materials cannot be grown in Germany at all or only to an insufficient extent. The Import Promotion Desk can play an important role in the establishment of a mutually satisfactory collaboration between food importers from Germany and reliable food exporters from selected commodity markets.«

Olivier Kölsch
Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Ernährungsindustrie e.V.

News

Bonn/Berlin // 10.11.2021
Survey among importers: Successful matchmaking through IPD
 
Bonn/Berlin // 10.11.2021

Survey among importers: Successful matchmaking through IPD

European importers appreciate the support of Import Promotion Desk (IPD) in finding suppliers and initiating business deals
Bonn/Berlin, 10.11.2021 – Sourcing, contact brokering, closing deals – Import Promotion Desk (IPD) successfully brings European importers together with producers from developing countries and emerging nations. This has been shown in a survey among importers who have worked with IPD: Almost three quarters of the respondents state that they have al-ready concluded a business deal with companies from the IPD programme. 60 percent of the importers surveyed have already included suppliers recommended by IPD with whom they have concluded a business deal in their buying portfolio. "Creating long-term trade re-lations with a sustainable effect for upcoming entrepreneurs in developing and emerging countries is the aim of IPD," says Dr Julia Bellinghausen, head of IPD.

Press release
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Bonn/Berlin // 27.10.2021
FiE/HiE 2021: biological diversity of selected developing and emerging nation
 
Bonn/Berlin // 27.10.2021

FiE/HiE 2021: biological diversity of selected developing and emerging nation

The initiative for import promotion presents exceptional herbs, spices, essential oils and plant extracts from developing countries and emerging nations
Bonn/Berlin, 27.10.2021 – With a variety of products highlighting the biodiversity of selected developing and emerging nations, the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) will be exhibiting this year at Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) co-located together with Health Ingredients Europe (HIE). Exceptional herbs, spices, essential oils and plant extracts will be presented by the 15 companies from the IPD programme at the 2-in-1 trade fair taking place in Frankfurt from the 30th of November to the 2nd of December and also virtually from the 22nd of November.

Press release: Fie/HiE 2021
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Bonn/Berlin // 06.10.2021
WTM 2021: IPD introduces Uzbekistan as a new destination
 
Bonn/Berlin // 06.10.2021

WTM 2021: IPD introduces Uzbekistan as a new destination

The tourism promotion initiative supports European tour operators in their search for new partners.

Bonn/Berlin, 05.10.2021 – Over 30 travel suppliers from Ecuador, Nepal, Tunisia and now Uzbekistan will be presented by the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) at the international tour-ism trade fair "WTM - World Travel Market" taking place from the 1st - 3rd of November in London and from the 8th – 9th of November virtually. All IPD partner companies offer sustainable trips, intended to lead tourists off the beaten track to experience cultural, natural highlights destinations in a new way. The tourism promotion initiative has carefully selected these special and highly individual travel offers, prepared the providers for European market requirements and is now presenting them to international travel marketers – both at the WTM exhibition stand in London and at the virtual WTM meetings.

Press release: IPD at WTM 2021
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Events

Trade fair in Berlin // 05.04. - 07.04.2022
Fruit Logistica 2022
 
Trade fair in Berlin // 05.04. - 07.04.2022

Fruit Logistica 2022

Fresh herbs, high-quality fruits and vegetables from new markets
Establish contacts to reliable producers

At the Fruit Logistica 2022 - the trade fair for fruit and vegetables in Berlin - the IPD will once again be mediating carefully selected and reliable suppliers e.g. from Egypt, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Peru, Ghana, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Côte d`Ivoire to the European trade.
The companies will be presenting a wide range of fresh produce, like mangoes, pineapples, avocados, physalis, grapes, etc.

All exporters have been thoroughly evaluated by IPD. Criteria such as product quality, export capability and capacity as well as compliance with international standards and certifications have been considered. The exporters are familiar with the requirements of the EU market and prepared for the export.

Detailed information on the exporters and their products will be available in March.

For further information please contact:

Daniel Oppermann

www.fruitlogistica.de

Online Event // 16.02.2022
7th German-African Business Forum – Virtual Edition
 
Online Event // 16.02.2022

7th German-African Business Forum – Virtual Edition

New impulses for your Africa business!
At the 7th German-African Business Forum NRW, which will take place online this year, you will receive the latest sector- and country-specific information as well as insights and good practices from companies and their projects in Africa. On 16 February, discuss topics such as green hydrogen, digitalisation and sustainable business with experts from politics and business.
Dr. Julia Bellinghausen, head of IPD, will report on successful import promotion and the success criterion of sustainability.
The 7th German-African Business Forum NRW is organised by the Auslandsgesellschaft and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of North Rhine-Westphalia.

You can find more information here.

Trade fair in Paris // 05 - 07.04.2022
in-cosmetics 2022
 
Trade fair in Paris // 05 - 07.04.2022

in-cosmetics 2022

Get to know reliable producers of innovative ingredients!
Meet us at in-cosmetics - the meeting place for personal care ingredients.

We will inform about reliable producers, such as from Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Colombia and Ecuador.

Our companies offer new, exotic ingredients, including essential oils and emulsions - obtained from cocoa, acai, cashew nuts, and plants such as rosemary, lavender and myrtle. Many products are available in organic quality.

All companies were visited and evaluated by IPD before the pandemic. We take into account criteria such as product quality, exportability and capacity as well as the fulfilment of international standards and certifications.

Details about our companies and their diverse product range will be available here from March.

For further information in advance please contact us:

Angie Martinez

IPD Exporters at in-cosmetics virtual 2020
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..Trade fair in Nuremberg // 26.07. - 29.07.2022
New date: Biofach 2022
 
..Trade fair in Nuremberg // 26.07. - 29.07.2022

New date: Biofach 2022

Biofach 2022 - the world's leading trade fair for organic food - is postponed and will take place from 26 - 29 July 2022.

IPD together with the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) will present carefully selected producers e.g. from Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Ghana, Ecuador, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Ukraine as well as from Morocco. The companies will offer a diverse range of organic products. You will find herbs, spices and teas, pastes, essential and cold-pressed oils, cane and coconut blossom sugar, as well as fruit and vegetable specialties from the new markets.

All companies were evaluated by the IPD. We take into account criteria such as product quality, exportability and capacity as well as the fulfillment of international standards and certifications.

Take advantage of the Biofach and meet reliable exporters from our partner countries. 

Details of companies and their product range will be available in June .

For questions in advance and further information please contact us:

Maria Paula Gomez

www.biofach.de

Publications

Success Story
Fresh fruit & vegetables from the Ukraine
 
Success Story

Fresh fruit & vegetables from the Ukraine

UKRAINIAN FRUIT GROWERS IMPRESS WITH GOOD QUALITY AND SHORT DELIVERY ROUTES


The Ukrainian company Gadz provides high-quality fruit for the European market. Although it has only been in the IPD programme since 2020, Gadz has already convinced the British importer Fresh4U of the quality of its products and its value as a reliable supplier. This business relationship demonstrates the advantages of the Ukraine as a production location: besides geographic proximity, short transport routes and favourable farming conditions, the country also offers a wide range of fresh fruit & vegetables in high quality. IPD supports both exporters and importers to ensure that the collaboration is a success story for both sides.

Fresh fruit & vegetables from the Ukraine
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808 KB PDF
Success Story
Preparing for a new start in tourism
 
Success Story

Preparing for a new start in tourism

The Import Promotion Desk (IPD) is supporting the Ministry of Tourism in Ecuador (MINTUR) as it prepares to
relaunch tourism in the country. In conjunction with the consulting firm Hotel Resilient, which specialises in risk and
crisis management, the health and hygiene concepts for the tourism sector have been adapted to internationally
valid standards and a concept for hygiene and safety training has been developed. In the first three months, more than
400 Ecuadorian tourism professionals have already been trained; an e-learning program has also been launched.

IPD SUPPORTS ECUADOR IN THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW COVID-19 HYGIENE PROTOCOLS
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Success Story
Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt
 
Success Story

Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt

IPD successfully prepares young enterprise for the EU market

Creatick Pro was launched in 2017 with a lot of enthusiasm and a high-quality product range. Although their range was tailored for the EU market, a marketing strategy and contact to European partners were lacking. Creatick joined the IPD programme in autumn 2019, and the Egyptian enterprise is now rapidly conquering the European market.

IPD Success story - Fresh fruit & vegetables from Egypt
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Success Story
Dates from Tunisia
 
Success Story

Dates from Tunisia

IPD supports Demeter producer in setting up lasting trade partnerships

Beni Ghreb is the first company in Tunisia to be certified for its organic and biodynamic dates. Initially, however, it proved impossible to obtain the price for Demeter-certified dates for the entire production. Beni Ghreb therefore
applied for admission to the IPD programme with the aim of increasing sales of its products, especially to the organic sector in Europe. Since 2018, IPD has successfully liaised new business partners for Beni Ghreb.

 

Dates from Tunisia
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